(19)
(11) EP 0 670 288 A1

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(43) Date of publication:
06.09.1995 Bulletin 1995/36

(21) Application number: 94830024.9

(22) Date of filing: 25.02.1994
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)6C02F 1/48
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH DE DK ES FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE

(71) Applicant: I.A.T.- ISTITUTO ANALITICO TUSCANESE S.r.l.
I-01017 Tuscania (Vt) (IT)

(72) Inventor:
  • Pandolfo, Salvatore Mario
    I-01100 Viterbo (IT)

(74) Representative: Coppi, Cecilia 
c/o Studio Internazionale Dott. Coppi, Via del Cane No. 8
40124 Bologna
40124 Bologna (IT)


(56) References cited: : 
   
       


    (54) Magnetic resonance scale preventer-decalcifier, connected to a transformer of the controlled reluctance type


    (57) Scale preventer/decalcifier device for the treatment of water which is hard and otherwise, based on the use of magnetic fields of variable frequency and intensity, generated by a trio of coils wound round the pipework in which the water which acts as a resonant nucleus flows, the said coils being connected to the secondary of a controlled reluctance transformer. The signal generated by the coils is variable both as a pulse and as an amplitude, which are determined by the type of water flowing through the pipework, thereby preventing the formation of calcium carbonate.


    Description


    [0001] The invention relates to a scale preventer/decalcifier device involving magnetic resonance, variable in terms of intensity, amplitude and frequency, supplied by a transformer of the controlled reluctance type.

    [0002] It is known that the use of hard water, both for domestic consumption and industrial applications, creates serious problems resulting from the deposit of lime whenever the water, when heated, converts part of the calcium bicarbonate it contains into insoluble calcium carbonate.

    [0003] In an attempt to eliminate or at least mitigate this phenomenon, various systems have been used in the past, primarily based on the use of chemicals (phosphates) or physico/chemical products (ion exchange resins) which do, however, have a variety of disadvantages related to high plant and maintenance costs. In fact, the chemicals cause the quality of the water, particularly for domestic consumption purposes, to deteriorate, also causing conditions of environmental pollution, whilst the physico/chemical products cause an actual demineralization which makes the water unsuitable for domestic consumption purposes.

    [0004] In recent times the use has also been known of electro-physics systems, such as permanent magnets or electromagnets, which enable almost acceptable results to be obtained but only if the treated water is of medium hardness, not more than 40 degrees French. Furthermore, this apparatus does not permit a variable molecular magnetization to be obtained which persists over time and in direct relation to the quantity of treated suppliable liquid, nor does it prevent the conversion of bicarbonate into aragonite or varetite.

    [0005] The object of the invention is to permit the manufacture of a scale preventer/decalcifier device which is simple, reliable, with no limits as to size and of modest cost, to be used to treat water of any hardness and also at elevated temperatures, which prevents the conversion of the bicarbonate in solution into insoluble calcium carbonate and which permits the dissolution of the lime already built up on the walls of the pipes through the persistence in the liquid of the molecular magnetization effect.

    [0006] This and other objects which will emerge in greater detail below are all achieved by the scale preventer/decalcifier device which is the object of the invention which is characterized in that it comprises in combination a preferably controlled reluctance transformer of known type and three low voltage resonance coils, coaxial with the pipework in which the water flows, directly connected to the secondary of the controlled reluctance transformer and prevented from operating during negative half cycles by means of a rapid commutation rectifier.

    [0007] The water flowing through the pipework comprises a nucleus resonating at the signal coming from the triple coil and through the effect of aggregating polarization or decreasing ionization it maintains the equilibrium according to the following formula:



            Ca(HCO₃)₂ = CaCO₃ + H₂O + CO₂,



    preventing the formation of calcium carbonate even at elevated temperatures.

    [0008] Further objects and advantages will emerge from the description below and from the accompanying drawings which show an embodiment of the invention in a diagrammatic manner by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

    Fig. 1 shows the diagram of a controlled reluctance transformer;

    Fig. 2 shows a trio of coils wound round a steel pipe;

    Fig. 3 shows the wiring diagram for connecting the said coils.



    [0009] A controlled reluctance transformer is produced by winding a first primary winding P1 clockwise round a core N and a second primary winding P2 anticlockwise around the core N; the secondary winding S also being wound round the said core N.

    [0010] The primary windings P1 and P2 are made of copper wire of suitable cross-section from a 220 V mains supply and are connected together according to the diagram x-y and u-z with the potential difference being subtracted. The secondary winding S is also made of copper wire and the number of turns of the secondary are such that 9 V is supplied to output terminals S' and S'' which are directly connected to inputs A-B of resonance coils (Fig. 2).

    [0011] Resonance coils L1, L2 and L3 are wound round Teflon formers of suitable diameter and bore, and are mounted coaxial with pipe T, Specifically, coils L1 and L3 are single windings and produced with an equal number of copper wire turns while coil L2 is made with two windings equivalent in terms of number of turns, each equal to half the number of turns relative to coil L1 or L3. The windings of coil 2 are wound in the opposite direction with respect to the other.

    [0012] The three coils L1, L2 and L3 are also connected to an alternating supply and interconnected by a rapid commutation single phase rectifier D which has the effect of damping the reversel peaks of the alternating supply. The rectifier is preferably in the form of a semiconductor diode.

    [0013] The supply is via the secondary of the transformer at low voltage and alternating current, with no polarized capacitive filters. By altering the relative magnitude of the voltages in the primary windings P1 and P2, the coils L1, L2 and L3 can be made resonate at different frequencies due to alteration of the amplitude of the alternating signal in the coils L1, L2 and L3 and by the relative length of the positive half wave as compared with the length of the negative half wave as affected by the rectifier D.

    [0014] Practical trials carried out at specialist laboratories have demonstrated the efficacy of the decalcifier device that is the object of the invention. The invention, which is illustrated and described in a diagrammatic manner by way of example, should be considered to be expandable to those additional variants which, as such, come within its scope.


    Claims

    1. A magnetic resonance decalcifier device, characterized in that it comprises a controlled reluctance transformer (P1, P2, P3) the primaries (P1, P2) of which comprise two windings connected in parallel and wound in the opposite direction; a trio of resonance coils (L1, L2, L3), coaxial to a pipe (T) through which water which comprises a resonant nucleus is arranged to flow, and the rectifier (d); a semiconductor capable of damping the reversal peaks in the resonance coils.
     
    2. A device, according to claim 1, characterized in that the said trio of coils comprises two single-winding coils (L1,L3) which are equal and located laterally to a third coil (L2) with a double winding which is inverted and resonates at variable frequencies.
     
    3. A device, according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the said coils (L1,L2,L3) are connected between phase and counterphase by the said rectifier (D) which causes a half-wave cut at the variable frequencies.
     
    4. A device, according to claim 1, characterized in that it is supplied with alternating current at low voltage without the use of polarized capacitive filters.
     




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